Captain Ed is a father and grandfather living in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota, a native Californian who moved to the North Star State because of the weather. He lives with his wife Marcia, also known as the First Mate, their two dogs, and frequently watch their granddaughter Kayla, whom Captain Ed calls The Little Admiral... [read more]

As if the bombings in London didn't demonstrate their brutality clearly enough, al-Qaeda terrorists in Iraq have executed their Egyptian hostage. They released a video of the diplomat identifying himself for the camera before apparently killing him immediately afterwards:

Al-Qaida in Iraq said in a Web statement Thursday that it has killed Egypt's top envoy in Iraq, posting a video of the blindfolded diplomat identifying himself.

"We announce in the al-Qaida in Iraq that the verdict of God against the ambassador of the infidels, the ambassador of Egypt, has been carried out. Thank God," a written statement in the Web posting said.

The video does not show the envoy, Ihab al-Sherif, being killed.

Al-Qaida in Iraq, headed by Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, said a day earlier that it had sentenced al-Sherif to death as an "apostate" for his country's support of the United States and the Iraqi government. The group has previously beheaded several foreign hostages, including three Americans.

For those who want to blame America and Britain for AQ terrorism, even on a day like today, answer this question: what did Egypt do to deserve this? All they did was to send a diplomat for normal relations with a freely-elected democratic government representing the will of the Iraqi people. For that, AQ had no compunction about kidnapping and murdering a fellow Arab and Muslim.

AQ does not exist because of Bush or Blair. AQ has attacked Western interests since at least 1993 because of who we are and what we represent. They have no ideology except that of hatred for freedom and the imposition of Taliban-like tyranny across Southwest Asia and eventually the world. Everywhere they have ruled, such as Afghanistan, Fallujah, Ramadi, Qaim, and other areas, they have brutally suppressed freedom of expression and civil rights.

Ignoring them does not work. Sympathizing with them encourages their bloody attacks. Disarming ourselves in the face of their attacks only confirms our weakness and stokes their apocalyptic dreams. Just as with other lunatic vanguards of fascism, the only option that will put an end to their deadly efforts is to crush them and to spread freedom and democracy to completely discredit their despotic philosophies.

» It's Time to Wake Up, Grow Up, and Sack Up from Fraternitas Vitae
Captain Ed explains that which should be obvious to all by now: Ignoring them does not work. Sympathizing with them encourages their bloody attacks. Disarming ourselves in the face of their attacks only confirms our weakness and stokes their apocalypti... [Read More]